When Fairies Fly with Birds
by MoonPrincess919
Summary: Finally, after a hard, emotional war, Fairy Tail can catch a break. Or so they thought. One year after Alverez, a giant hole consumes Fiore, taking the guild hall and everyone in it. Now in a strange new world, join Nerida, Rose, and the rest of the gang in the adventure of a lifetime! But there's one little surprise they weren't expecting...
1. Where It All Began

Morning sunlight shone brightly across the land. The forest trees waved their branches happily in the light breeze, leaves dancing joyfully. Birds chirped their morning songs as they fluttered above a bustling little town almost hidden by the trees if not for the train station. Sunlight glared off of new windows and the shimmering ripples of the canal. The cobblestone pathways glinted softly, their surfaces recently smoothed by an onslaught of rain. Even the lampposts and their light lacrima were reconstructed and refilled with magic.

The townspeople were just as happy as the nature around them, cheerfully greeting one another as they passed by neighbors or set up shop. Everyone was basking in the afterglow of rebirth that seemed to blanket their town.

Finally, after several months of hammering and cementing wood and brick, the war-struck town of Magnolia was finally whole again. The people were happy to be home to a wizard's guild. If not for them and their magic, the construction would've taken a few months longer.

~oOo~

A bird flapped casually, slowing down to land in its nest. Its hatchlings chirped hungrily as it lowered its worm-filled beak to each one. It tweeted in response to them, happy it was able to provide another meal.

Their chirping reached the sensitive ears of a woman in her shared apartment. Her frizzy, aqua curls were wild and untamed from a night of constant turning. Caramel ears twitched a couple of times, hearing the light sounds of the morning outside her window. The woman frowned in her sleep as she slowly woke. Amethyst eyes slowly fluttered open as she shifted to sit up. Her white sheets slowly fell into her lap, revealing the plain purple tank top she'd worn to bed. Clawed fingers laced together and moved far above the woman's head to stretch her arms. With a loud yawn, she tossed her covers aside and flung her caramel legs over the side, quickly rising to her feet.

She trudged to the bathroom in the hallway, passing a picture of her and two other girls hanging in a black frame. On the far right, the woman was smiling brightly. She was wearing a sleeveless black top and a forest green cropped jacket. Her arm was wrapped around a smiling blonde with a high ponytail tied up with a red bow on her right side. The woman was wearing a plain blue crop top and holding up the badge hanging around her neck. Finally, on the far right, was a woman with soft pink hair in a low braid over her shoulder. She was wearing a light green tank top and had a small smile on her face. Her arm was reaching out toward the camera and was cut off on the right side of the image.

_To think,_ the woman spat out toothpaste and rinsed her mouth, _that picture was over a year ago now._ She let the water clean her toothbrush and reached for a washcloth to wash her face. Returning to her room, the woman grabbed her rose patterned brush from the nightstand drawer and started brushing her hair.

Her thoughts trailed back to the picture hanging in the hallway and she smiled. She and her sister had moved with the blonde to their nation's capital of Crocus. Magnolia didn't have anything left for them and the two women knew it was time for a change in scenery. Seeing as all their other friends were already going their separate ways, the sisters decided to go with Lucy.

That picture was from the day she'd finally been hired by _Sorcerer Weekly _as an amateur reporter and writer. The three of them celebrated together and spent the night in Lucy's apartment. It was more of going over what leads they had on the others and drinking a bit of wine in congratulations.

The bluenette sighed and set her brush down. She knew their presence helped Lucy through the sudden change, but it wasn't until a certain dragonslayer and exceed appeared that she really brightened up again.

"Those three are really their own little family," she chuckled to herself.

Walking over her dresser, she looked through her outfits. For today, she decided on the same top from the picture with a dark blue skirt and a matching, silver-rimmed vest. Her black fingerless gloves matched the calf-high boots she pulled from her shoe rack. One last glance in the full-length mirror by her door and she walked out with a smile.

"Now to cook breakfast!" It was the only way her sister would wake up peacefully. Anything else and the poor bluenette would get smacked with her sister's clock.

Quickly pulling out a pot and pan, the woman got to work making eggs and grits. She hummed away in the kitchen, smiling as she finished off the egg and put bacon on. While that and the grits cooked, the small dining table was set and tea was brewed. Finally returning to the stove, the mage stirred the grits one last time and distributed the bacon.

"Rose, c' mon!" Amethyst eyes glanced at the clock above the side window reading six twenty-three. They would be able to get to the guild pretty early today. "It's time for breakfast!"

As if summoned, a woman with long, rose pink hair frizzy from sleep and tired vermillion eyes trudged in. A pale hand reached up to lazily cover her yawn as she settled into one of the places at the table. She took a sip of the tea and cringed, reaching for the spoon and sugar in the middle of the table. Two scoops, a stir, and another sip. Rose smiled contently.

A plate of eggs, bacon, and grits was placed in front of her and she thanked her sister. Rose waited for the bluenette to sit down before starting to eat. It was relatively silent, the two mages simply enjoying their food and company. When both plates were clean, they focused on their tea.

"Hey, Nerida?"

Amethyst eyes glanced up from her teacup. "What is it?"

Rose just stared at her tea for a moment. Nerida frowned at the disquiet in her sister's scent. But before she could ask, there was a surge of energy outside.

It only lasted a minute before it disappeared. This was not the first time it'd happened. In fact, for the last several months, there were similar surges of power. They'd only grown more frequent over time. The last one was only the day before. To all in Fairy Tail, that power felt vaguely familiar but none had placed.

Until now.

"That's what I was going to mention." Nerida looked at her sister questioningly. "These… surges are dimensional rips."

"What do you…" Another surge and the bluenette remembered where she'd felt it before. There was a hint of something else she couldn't put her finger on, but it felt a lot like- "The Eclipse Gate."

The sisters shared a determined look. Agreeing to head to the guild as soon as possible, Nerida cleaned the kitchen while her sister got dressed.

~oOo~

"I'm glad you shared this information with me. This is very concerning," Makarov sighed. He had hoped that he and his children would finally be able to relax after the war. The eighth master sighed and held a hand to his head before glancing up at the two mages. "I will call a guild meeting and see what the others say. Maybe we can come up with a theory and figure this out."

Nerida frowned. "Has the Magic Council not said anything about it, Master?"

"Unfortunately, no." He picked up a couple documents and skimmed through them. "I've sent several letters about these energy surges with little reply. I even had Levy send them her input on the situation and request someone look into it. They haven't found anything in the archives yet and the royal family is growing a bit restless."

The bluenette nodded solemnly. After the Eclipse Gate incident, and then the Celestial Spirit world almost collapsing a few months later, she figured Hisui was worried this could be related as well. She silently hoped it wasn't. The last thing their new queen needed was another incident related to Eclipse.

"Alright." Rose sighed and turned toward the door. "Rida and I will wait in the lobby then."

~oOo~

The guild members whispered amongst themselves as they waited in the main lobby. An anxious tension hung heavily in the air. Everyone was worried about the energy surge they felt early that morning. While it hadn't felt malicious, it wasn't positive either.

Team Natsu and several others were the most worried. With every surge that occurred, the energy had felt more and more like the Eclipse Gate. Lucy and the dragonslayers could tell it was more than that, too. There were hints of magic similar to the Anima - the magic device that took them to Edolas.

"Hey guys," Rose greeted as she and her sister approached them. The two women looked just as worried as everyone else. No doubt the surge unsettled them.

Team Natsu greeted them in return. Erza, straight to the point, asked, "Do you guys know what this is about?"

Nerida nodded, amethyst eyes glazed in memory of the incident possibly related. "Rose and I told Master that the energy surges felt a lot like the Eclipse gate, although…" she trailed off in thought. "It feels like there's more to it."

"Edolas." Her gaze snapped to Natsu. He had a serious look on his face - something she still found foreign on the carfree fire mage. "It's just like Edolas."

The sisters looked at him wide-eyed. So, whatever the energy was, there was another world beyond it. That made the energy surges that much worse.

"Alright brats, listen up! I-" He was cut off by another surge of energy.

This time, instead of dissipating after a minute, it converged above the city. Fairy Tail rushed outside and watched in horrified awe as a large, swirling hole grew in the sky. It grew and grew and grew, not stopping until it covered the entire town. Then the ground started shaking as the hole descended on Magnolia.

Suddenly, everything in the guild was black before the wizards knew no more.

~oOo~

The townspeople screamed in fear at the giant hole above. Anyone and everyone who could try tried to run. Some made it out of the town before it was swallowed but most of them were stuck or just weren't fast enough. And this time, Fairy Tail couldn't help them.

Because their guild hall had disappeared first - with everyone in it.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hey everyone! Another idea I've been playing with for a while. As I'm sure you noticed, there are a couple OCs here. Nerida is mine but Rose belongs to a friend of mine - who has granted me permission to use her. **

**First things first; I do not own Fairy Tail or Magi. For anyone who hasn't read the Fairy Tail manga, there will be _SPOILERS_ as I'm sure the final season isn't over just yet. As for Magi, I'll be relying on the anime until I catch up in the manga...So, anything I miss manga-wise is because animators are lazy and cut things out.**

**Anyway, please read and review!**


	2. The Groups Are Chosen

The mages all groaned in pain, each one slowly moving to sit up. Everything was more than a little hazy but some remembered what happened. Those that didn't simply looked around in awe at their surroundings.

All around them were antique shelves of books. Entrances marked by pillars and tunnels seemed to spiral upward into the golden light shining softly above them. There was a gentle warmth in the air that made them feel safe. The mages started to walk around a bit, some of the more avid readers deciding to look at some of the books. They were quite surprised to see books in multiple languages - including their own.

It was silent for a while, some of the mages whispering amongst one another as they explored, quickly discovering their town was not the only one taken by the hole in the sky. Mages from guilds all over the continent were there; Fairy Tail, Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, even Quatro Cerberus was there.

The sound of large doors creaking shut drew their attention behind them. They were quite surprised to see a giant, serene blue face smiling at them. It was being held up by many smaller white blobs that were barely humanoid. His dark blue hair parted just enough to show the hidden eye on his forehead.

Seeing that he had most mages' attention, the blue head finally spoke. "Hello, wizards of Earthland. My name is Ugo."

The eldest among them, a short, elderly man wheeled his chair forward, the sleeves of his jacket swaying slightly on the back of his chair with the movement. He was followed by a tall, red-haired woman with a powerful aura, making sure he didn't slip in his chair. The blue symbol on her left forearm matched the large yellow one sewn into the back of the man's jacket.

"Hello there, Ugo-san." He finally rolled to a stop at the bottom of the steps leading to the blue head. "My name is Makarov. Could you tell us, what's happened?"

The strange figure sighed. "It seems our worlds have been slowly merging for several years. However, a recent clash of magic supplied the final catalyst."

Everyone's eyes widened at that. The first trigger was a mystery to all but Fairy Tail. Anyone who experienced the Anima knew almost exactly when it started. It was wild to think this magic started over nine years ago. Although, that explained a lot about why they sensed the Eclipse and with Lucy - part of the Infinity Clock. Those kinds of magic mixing together was extremely dangerous. It was a miracle they'd only transported Fiore to another world.

Wary at the possibility of a world without ethernano, the scarlet haired woman asked, "This isn't Edolas, is it?"

Ugo frowned at the blonde's question. "No. I'm not sure what you mean by Edolas, but this is a world of magi and dungeons." he paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You were all brought here for a reason though. There is a dangerous force from your world joining the darkness hiding in this one. It grows by the day and the people of this world are unprepared for it."

The mages glanced around at one another and nodded, some a little more wary than others. After the Alvarez War and dragon attack a year ago, many of them were still quite shaken. Some of them hadn't made it out and no one was left unscathed. What mattered though, was that they came out on top.

"We will do our best, then," Makarov vowed.

Ugo smiled. And gestured to the doors beside him as they opened once more. The golden light above them quickly grew in intensity until no one could see anything. Once they were gone, the doors slammed shut, leaving a grateful Djinn head in their wake.

"I'm looking forward to the changes you all will make."

~oOo~

When everyone woke up, they were each in their respective towns. The citizens around them were frightened but happy that the wizards had finally returned. So, with the knowledge of an oncoming threat - and a pleasant surprise of some of the books from that library - each guild got to work.

Any and all runic mages were tasked with learning the old languages and translating as best as they could. Other members traveled to surrounding villages and towns to spread the news and ease the non-magical citizens' hysteria. Within three months, most of the texts had been translated, the knowledge spreading and quickly becoming public knowledge.

All non-wizards were thankful for the mage guilds and magic council sending out information about what happened to their kingdom. Despite some of it going over their heads, it was nice to know they'd found out and were letting everyone know. They knew, without a doubt, things were irrevocably changed. And, if Sorcerer Weekly's recent interview with Jura from the New Magic Council was anything to go by, this world was their new home.

Guild masters from every legal guild gathered at the magic council regularly to share everything they had, coming up with plans to get more accustomed to this new world. And so, with the mutual agreement of the light guilds and the royal family, Fiore was remapped; many found through traveling that their kingdom was somehow reversed, a mirror image of itself. It had left many residents confused for a while.

Soon enough, scouting groups were sent out to learn about the surrounding nations, the royal family hoping to learn more about their neighbors. Many of the magic devices and tools Fiore was used to became more advanced as travelers brought back some of the goods they found. The kingdom quickly grew in power, gaining more travelers and settlers from other lands.

Overall, the situation quickly turned into a great boost of health and economy. It wasn't long before the letters their queen sent out to a few of the neighboring countries started asking for diplomats to visit and finalize the proposed alliances.

With a formal request sent to the major wizard guilds for people to send out, Queen Hisui and those of Mercurius Castle prepared for their visitors.

~oOo~

A few days later, Makarov received the letter from Queen Hisui. Quickly reading through it, he saw the New Magic Councio had already chosen who they wanted going where.

The last two years had been hectic. Cleaning and reconstructing everything that got damaged after the war with Alvarez left them busy for a while. Getting transported to another world less than a year later really threw everyone for a loop. Now that things were finally calming down, he'd hoped his family would be able to go back to taking normal jobs and not worrying about them more than usual.

But now nine of his children were being called out into this strange new world. He almost groaned at the names listed and hoped everything would turn out alright. While he was glad they got to go on another adventure, his mind was still worried about the ominous message they'd been given.

Whatever that force was, it was out there and could possibly harm them. This world was so vast; there was no telling what could happen. He sighed and rolled his chair back from the desk. As he rolled out of his office, the smell of alcohol and the sound of laughter brought a smile to his face. The guild master realized that the dangers they would soon face could never break the bonds his family had forged. He would try to have more faith in them.

"Alright brats, listen up!" Despite his frail appearance, the authority in his voice was unwavering. The guild lobby fell silent as everyone turned to give their attention to their guild master. "The New Magic Council and the Royal Family have appointed the wizards going in the diplomatic groups Fiore is sending out. Seeing as we are the largest guild in the country, we will have wizards in each of the three groups.

His warm gray eyes settled on the group gathered by the bar. "Erza, you, Lucy, and Rose will be part of the group headed to Artemyra. Because it is a country of matriarchs, this will be a team of female wizards only."

Lucy, Erza, and Rose all nodded in acknowledgment. Some of the boys groaned and protested but a glare from the three girls immediately silenced them. The rest of the guild chuckled only to quiet down once more at the glares they received from the S-Class women around the room.

Makarov cleared his throat. "They are situated in the canyons west of Fiore so it'll be windy. Gajeel, Levy, and Mira will leave for Heliohapt. It's a desert nation so pack for strong heat."

"Last but not least, Nerida, Laxus, and Wendy will be part of the group headed to Sindria. It's a tropical nation so you all pack for heat as well." The three of them nodded, Charle smiling at the excitement her partner struggled to hide at the prospect of a new adventure.

"I expect you to be on your best behavior. Our country's future is relying on you all! You leave for Crocus tomorrow at noon. However," Makarov paused to smirk at all of his precious children, warm stone eyes looking over the crowd, marveling at how many and how different they all were; that despite this, they were all a big, happy family. "Make sure they know that no matter what, Fairy Tail is always number one!"

The crowd cheered loudly in agreement as another round of drinks was called. Not long after, the typical argument from Natsu and Gray quickly escalated into a guild-wide brawl. Sitting at the bar, smirking at each other because of the ruckus behind them, the Lynwood sisters clinked their milkshakes together. Tonight was their last time together in a while and they were going to make it count!

~oOo~

Nerida groaned at the sunlight shining in her eyes. Her bright amethysts fluttered open as she stretched and yawned, shaking the sleep from her muscles. Blinking, the young mage faintly noticed the change in her appearance and panicked slightly. Dark, aqua scales spread across her torso, arms, and legs. They raced down her back into a long, pointed tail starting at the base of her spine. Large wings extended up to the top of her head and dipped toward her calves. Feeling her forehead made her sigh in relief. The extravagant, lavender pearl still sat in its resting place, surrounded by the swirling circlet of coral.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed her heartbeat and remembered the Grier* incident. Her guild members wouldn't be startled by seeing her transformation magic down. But the other mages they were traveling with certainly would be. As would the Sindrian citizens.

She sighed and carefully stood up from her barstool. Glancing around and scenting the room, she could tell a few of their partners left during the night or early that morning. At least some were smart. Deciding they needed to leave and pack, Nerida turned to wake her sister but then thought better of it. Instead, she hefted the strawberry head onto her back and silently made her way out of the guild.

As she walked to their apartment, the dragon allowed her thoughts to wander a bit. Things were changing drastically. Although it had happened a few times before, this was different.

They were permanently in another world. A world that worked a bit differently than their own. It had magic, but most of it - if not all - came from weapons. But this magic was stronger than what they experienced in Edolas, summoning great genies to bestow power on the wielder and their household warriors. So, more like Lucy's Star Dresses.

The dragon took a deep breath, smiling at the ethernano in the air. But there was something else too. It seemed… holy? No, that wasn't it. Maybe, lighter? No, not that either. Whatever it was, it was different. Just expanding her magic aura a bit told her their magic wouldn't work if not for the ether.

A groan pulled her from her thoughts and the dragon shifted a bit. Her wings spread to keep sunlight out of her sister's eyes as the strawberry head slowly woke up.

Nerida smirked. "Rise and shine, Rosy-locks."

"Morning?"

Her sister chuckled under her. "Yup. It's almost eight and we still need to pack for our trips."

The earth mage groaned and tightened her grip on the scaled shoulders she felt. Her sleep clogged mind slowly proceeded what she was feeling before panic set in. Immediately awake, Rose hopped down from her sister's back and stared at her.

The sea dragon stopped and stared at her sister in confusion. "What's up?"

"Your transformation magic is down! Wait..." she trailed off in thought. Then realized everyone in Magnolia already knew what her adoptive sister was and accepted it. Rose sighed and rubbed her temples, grumbling, "I'm still tired."

Nerida chuckled and grabbed the earth mage's hand. She turned and kept walking toward their apartment, tail swaying behind her. Many of the resident shopkeepers called out morning greetings as the Lynwood sisters passed. Not a single one seemed bothered by her scaly appearance and it brought a smile to the drakaina's face.

When they finally made it back, the sea dragon gently pushed her older sister into her bedroom. "Now, find a suitcase and pack some clothes. Don't forget a few essentials. We should have enough jewel for each of us to buy a couple outfits if you forget anything."

"Alright!" The rosy haired mage opened her closet door and pulled her forest green suitcase down from the top shelf and popped it open on her bed. Turning to the clothes hanging under the second shelf, she placed determined hands on her hips. "Since we're going to a windy country, I'll need my blazer, a few sweatpants…"

On the other side of the apartment, the aqua-haired dragon recanted her transformation spell and started looking through her closet. Since Sindria is a tropical country, I should pack the clothes I got from my last visit to Rijia.

Most of her bright tops were cropped, sleeves starting just under the dip of her collarbone. The neckline dropped just enough to leave her guild mark on display, the lavender bright against her skin. Pale tones of baggy pants had darker hued ties to secure them at her calves. She packed a few leather and fabric belts. Everything was rolled up and packed neatly into her suitcase. Several pairs of sandals and ankle boots were tucked into the zipper pocket. The last thing she packed were a few formal dresses for any events that happened after meeting the king.

Zipping it up and locking it closed, amethyst eyes turned to pick out a new outfit for the day. She finally settled on a royal purple bodysuit that zipped in the front. The sleeves stopped just over her shoulder, letting the black swirled white cuffs cover her forearms. She left the zipper just under her bust to show off her white crop top. A pair of wide white belts crossed around her waist. The legs stopped halfway down her thigh, showing a bit of skin before her black calf high, silver buckle boots covered her feet.

Braiding her hair loosely over her shoulder, the sea mage pulled her suitcase off of the bed. Nerida walked into the living room to see Rose putting her long pink hair into a high ponytail. The earth mage smiled.

"Ready to go?"

Glancing at the clock, amethyst eyes widened in shock. It was already a quarter to noon! She didn't think packing would take that long. Chuckling, she responded, "I guess so."

~oOo~

Nerida silently sneered at the sight of the train. After all these years, she was still a bit childish about her motion sickness. While ships had never been a problem - she was a sea dragon, after all - trains were always the worst for her.

She felt a light smack on the back of her forehead before the pinkette hugged her and walked toward the others. Pouting, the drakaina hung her head in defeat and trudged after her sister.

"Alright, it's a five hour ride to Crocus, so we have a little while to rest a little more." Lucy glanced over the four dragon mages in sympathy before returning her attention to their tickets. "We're in the fourth coach, two down from where we're standing."

Everyone nodded and quickly boarded the train. Wendy was seated next to Nerida, who was next Laxus. Rose, Lucy, Erza, and Mira were all in one set, leaving Gajeel, Levy, and Lily together in the last one. The seat partners were a bit odd, but overall, not uncomfortable.

A few minutes after settling in, Nerida almost immediately turned a bit green. Rose was too far away and the drakaina was too stubborn to get up. Besides, there was no way she could walk well enough to get there.

Sighing, the drakaina decided to lean on Laxus and play it off as sleep, smiling to herself when she felt Wendy lean on her. However, she was a little surprised to feel the lightning mage shift and pull her closer, laying her head on his chest. She glanced up at his face, noting the green color in his own cheeks, and smiled up at him. Her amethyst eyes finally closed after a while.

~oOo~

When they finally got off the train, everyone was grateful. Being cooped up in the small train car left cricks in their necks and muscles stiff. A bit sore, the Fairy Tail mages gathered their luggage from the cargo car and made their way to the hotel they were supposed to meet at. Pushing the door open, the tinkle of a bell sounded, alerting the innkeeper of their arrival. The old woman smiled at the familiar faces and greeted them joyfully.

"Hello! You must be the group from Fairy Tail." She pulled out her reservation book and put her glasses on. Her aged eyes danced over the page until she found their names. "Here we are. You all will be on the second floor, all the way down the hall."

The innkeeper reached below the counter for the key drawer and gave them four sets of keys. "The others have already checked in so they'll be out shortly."

Erza nodded toward the woman. "Thank you." The redhead turned and gave three of the keys to Gajeel, Rose, and Laxus. "I believe it would be best to split in two and three. Laxus, that will give you a room to yourself."

The lightning mage smirked. "That's fine with me."

All the girls nodded in agreement, Gajeel smirking as he pulled Levy a little closer. Erza smiled slightly.

"Alright. Let's put our things away and meet back here in half an hour."

~oOo~

The room itself was quite nice. The walls were a pale green with accents of darker greens and yellow splashed onto the curtains and bed sheets. A smaller room connected to the main one, leading to the two beds and a lacrima vision. One was by the window and the other closer to them. Opening the door next to the closet, they found the bathroom. There were three sets of towels on the counter by the sink. The tub was a little smaller than the one in the Lynwoods' apartment. Pale yellow shower curtains hung in front of the tub.

Small but workable.

Nerida, Rose, Wendy, and Charle were able to put their things away quickly and decide who got what bed. The Lynwood sisters let Wendy have the bed by the window and took the one closer to the door. Finally, when everything was how they wanted it, they freshened up and left for the lobby.

~oOo~

Nerida sighed as she let Wendy lean on her. The carriage they were in hit a particularly rough bump and the poor girl had to lean out the window for fresh air. The drakaina rubbed her back in sympathy as Charle spoke soothing words to the girl.

They were currently being transported to Mercurius. Quen Hisui wanted to brief them on the details of their trips over dinner. It was also a show of gratitude for the guilds helping everyone readjust. They were told to dress up and prepare before the carriages arrived. Thankfully, everyone had thought to bring formal clothes with them to Crocus.

The drakaina was wearing one of her favorite dresses. A sleeveless, pale blue gathered form-fitting dress that cut open mid-thigh, the ruffling fishtail train shorter than the flowing white underskirt. The navy shawl on her shoulders was long-sleeved, the same fabric flowing around her wrists. The golden wristbands matched the braided belt around her torso pronouncing her breasts. Short, golden stick heels adorned her feet, slightly hidden by the skirt of her dress.

Her wild aqua curls were relaxed and tamed into a small bun, golden hair sticks poking out with lotus-shaped pearls dangling from the ends. The rest of her hair fell in elegant waves that ended at the middle of her back. Dark red painted her lips with an accented light pink on her eyelids. Pearl earrings matched the necklace around her neck. There was just enough space for her lavender guild mark to show, the Fairy Tail symbol resting above her cleavage.

Wendy had a pale green sleeveless dress that started at her neck. The sheer fabric between her neck and breasts displayed her beautiful pale skin and collarbone. It was form fitting around her slim torso and waist, gently fanning out into a layered skirt down to her calves. She wore black kitten heels to complete her outfit.

Her hair was thoroughly brushed out and left to drape over her shoulders. Light pink glistened on her lips and eyelids. She smiled at Nerida and thanked her for helping with makeup. The sixteen-year-old was still getting used to

Charle had a similar design. However, her pale pink dress had two thin straps on either shoulder, baring the rest of her neck and shoulders. She had a matching shawl; it had a solid collar, sheer and draping down over her shoulders to her forearm. Charle also had black kitten heels to match.

Laxus was wearing a purple dress shirt with a black tie. He had black slacks and dress shoes along with his signature coat. The scowl on his face a clear indication of his dislike of formal occasions. The ride to the palace was mercifully short and soon, the Fairy Tail mages were being led to the dining hall.

It was an elegant white room, a trio of golden chandeliers hanging over the long mahogany table. The lacy white tablecloth was lined by twenty-four red placemats. Red cushioned chairs greeted them as they found places to sit. The other guilds slowly filled in after that, lighthearted greetings and small talk starting until the queen and her father arrived with the chief of the royal guard.

"Her Highness, Queen Hisui Fiore and her father King Toma Fiore being escorted by Chief Knight Arcadios."

All the mages stood and turned toward them. The father and daughter smiled at their guests. They waved for everyone to sit down and exchanged a few pleasantries until the food arrived. The meal went over uneventfully, mages sharing stories of their missions and teasing others about their slip-ups. Overall, it was a nice time.

Finally, Arcadios cleared his throat. "Well, now that you all are here, I believe it's time you found out who is going where."

"Thank you, Arcadios," the queen nodded. She gestured for the maids at the ends of the room to come forward. Each held envelopes with a mage's name on it. "Inside them are your roles in each group. You all will be leaving tomorrow morning with merchant groups as your guides."

"That's why you have some of us as muscle?" The queen nodded at the shadow dragonslayer's question. "What about those of us who are traveling in carriages or on ships?"

Hibiki Lates spoke up from a little further down the table. "Miss Anna has helped Blue Pegasus build devices for that." He summoned his archive magic to show them a hologram of a lacrima encased in some kind of cube. It had a symbol of a dragon engraved on the top of it. "It's portable so all we have to do is take one with us and activate it on the vehicle."

"We have twelve with us," Eve mentioned. "They're back in our hotel room."

There was a collective sigh of relief from some of the dragonslayers at that. They were grateful that their motion sickness wouldn't burden them on their trip. Especially those who'd be on ships at some point.

"Your Highness, do you think there will be space for us to train," the drakaina asked. She glanced around at her fellow mages before turning back to the emerald-haired woman. "I know that some of us will be unable to sit still for too long. Besides, it would be best for us to get used to blending ethernano and the natural source of this world together."

She forgot about that. The queen looked thought for a moment. "I'd imagine they'll have places for you all to train. If not while you travel, then in the other countries for certain."

Nerida nodded, accepting the answer. However, she wasn't the only one to be a little off-put by the unsure answer. Most of them were combat wizards. Staying in one place for too long would leave them restless and feeling rusty.

Which brought another question.

"Why are you sending wizards instead of nobles?" Straight to the point as always, Erza.

At this, the queen gained a mischievous glint in her eyes. She smiled knowingly and answered, "They'll never expect powerful mages."

In other words, the drakaina smirked in agreement, we're diplomats and a way to flaunt power. It seemed the queen was more cunning than she appeared. Nerida knew there was a reason she liked Hisui so much. Kind, intelligent, cunning. She truly was a great leader.

There were smirks all around as final words were exchanged and they were taken back to their hotels. After a couple more days in Crocus for short lessons in etiquette, the groups were back at the train station saying their goodbyes. It would be several months before they saw each other again.


	3. The Journey

In the dark dungeons of the New Magic Council, cold red eyes glared unseeing at the stone wall of their cell through broken glasses. The jangle of thick sealstone cuffs around his wrists and ankles. His trenchcoat was lost, dress shirt tattered and hair tie long broken. On the other side of the wall he was leaning on, a man with a worn yellow shirt and forest green trousers was staring dejectedly at his calloused hands. The violet-haired Historia mage lay against the cool stone wall with sealstone cuffs to match his friend.

After their humiliating defeat in the war, the Winter Wizard and Neinhart were caught plotting another war and sent to prison in Fiore. The two powerful, former Alvarez wizards were sitting powerless behind thick bars of magically reinforced sealstone. Invel silently seethed at the fact that their own teammates had cast them out upon discovering their plans.

It was ridiculous. Just because their leader was dead, didn't mean they could remain complacent. Obviously, they'd simply underestimated Fiore and its mages - especially Fairy Tail. The damn fools had actually managed to beat most of the Spriggan 12. Given a bit more time, they could plan a better attack and still carry out Zeref's plans. Of course, they had to get out first. The two ex-Spriggans had nothing until then.

Fortunately, they wouldn't have to wait long.

~oOo~

A lone figure grumbled as they tugged their cloak further over their face. They'd been traveling for many days now, planning how to sneak into the dungeons and free the two mages they needed.

After more than a decade of failed plans and constant defeat, the former dark guild master had a golden opportunity to get his revenge. Finally, he had a chance to gain allies who couldn't be swayed to the light. He would make sure they wouldn't abandon him. The dark mage had firsthand knowledge of the very guild they wished to destroy: Fairy Tail.

Those damn fairies had humiliated him time and again, even going so far as to have his own son defeat his entire guild in public. The nerve of that boy to claim they weren't family! He'd brushed them all off so easily, quickly destroying his plan. Seven years wasted in mere minutes. And with a ridiculous lecture too! As if bonds could mean more than blood?!

The dark wizard ground his teeth and kept walking. He could dwell on that later. For now, Ivan smirked wickedly to himself, he had to focus on getting into the dungeons. Then, and only then, could his real revenge start.

He pulled a small pile of paper dolls from his pocket and discreetly sent them forward to scope out the guards. There was only a handful of them which meant they were higher-ranked and trained better than the grunts he'd taken care of before. Ivan growled in distaste. It was an unforeseen blip in his plan, but nothing he couldn't handle.

The first thing he did was cast a sleep spell. It took out most of the younger soldiers, but three of them were still standing. He pulled a spelled knife from the inside of his cloak and raced through the hall. The ex-guild master was sure to cut each guard he passed. No reason to leave witnesses that could identify him.

"Stop right there!" Ivan clicked his tongue in distaste. Of course there was one he missed.

He turned his dark eyes to the heavily armed man before him. The spear in his hands was pointing at Ivan loosely, a testament to the holder's comfort with it. Enhancement magic practically radiated from his suit and weapon though. And that would be their downfall.

Ivan smirked in the darkness and surged forward.

~oOo~

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now everyone." The strawberry-haired girl smiled a bit sadly as she hugged her sister. Warmth settled in both their hearts as their magic seemed to do the same. "Be careful, sister," she whispered in the drakaina's ear.

"I will. You be careful too, Rose." The bluenette smiled as she pulled away and turned to leave for the train to Hargeon.

Just as they were about to part ways, a flurry of golden light stopped the Fiore wizards. Everyone exchanged glances and frowned as the sacred birds of fate fluttered urgently around them. The golden-white light swirled around each of them before converging into a single orb.

'The darkness has been freed,' they warned ominously. Many eyes widened in shock. No one had forgotten the foreboding message they were given upon entering this world. It had been so long since they'd heard anything that they were anxious. It seemed this darkness may very well like to wait until it's enemy's guard was down to make itself known.

'Beware the ghosts of enemies past.' And with a final chorus of chirps, the Rukh scattered.

Everyone glanced around one last time, hardened expressions on all their faces. They all nodded before resolutely turning in their respective directions. Whatever the future had in store for them, they would face it head-on.

~oOo~

Vermillion eyes snapped open with a gasp and glanced back over a pale shoulder. She'd been out for the last twenty minutes but worry was still twisting her stomach. When the only thing she was met with outside the train window was a forest, the strawberry-haired woman sighed.

She knew Nerida and the others could handle themselves, but she couldn't help worrying about the dark force they were warned about. And while she was grateful that Master Makarov had them learn how to use what they now knew as the Rukh - it was such a beautiful and sacred source of energy - she couldn't help but feel something was off.

They'd learned through the Rukh that this world worked quite different than their own; it was power produced by the souls of the dead watching over their loved ones. Together, these sacred birds form the flow of fate and the energy of life around them. It also split into two categories: there were those of the light who followed the paths they were given and those who condemned their fate and fought against it with every fiber of their being. Anyone who did was considered Fallen. To date, very few people have become Fallen and fewer still have climbed their way back up.

So very different from Earthland. They didn't accept fate, but they didn't curse it either. No, people blazed their own paths to destiny. Fairy Tail was especially good at this. Time and again, fate tried to strike them down; Edolas, the S-Class trials, demons from the Books of Zeref, and even Zeref himself. Every time, they'd come out on the other side.

Still, it was nice to be more attuned to the world around them, connected to the very essence of life - the Great Flow. But it was that very connection that was warning Rose something wasn't quite right. Somehow, someway, the bright white birds had informed her - and many other mages, as the whisper before leaving Crocus showed - that there was a group of dark people hellbent on destroying everything. That it had been their one and only goal since the very beginning. Rose knew that whatever the "dark force" from their world was, it was probably dark mages with similar goals.

"It'll be alright, Rose." The strawberry-haired girl turned to Titania with worry still swimming in her eyes. Erza smiled in understanding. "I know how you feel, but we must trust the others to look after one another."

The plant mage sighed and looked down at her lap. "I know. I just can't help but feel like something bad is going to happen."

Minerva smiled slightly and put a hand on the Fairy's shoulder. "If something does happen, we'll worry about it then. For now, let us focus on our mission and hope everything goes well."

Rose smiled gratefully spatial mage. For the time being, her worries were silenced. They wouldn't surface again for quite a while. "Thank you, girls."

~oOo~

"Nerida-nee, look. It's Tenroujima."

Nerida's ears perked at the island's name and looked up. Sure enough, there it was, the tree standing as tall as it did all those years ago. Reaching over, she settled an arm around the young slayer's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "It sure is."

For a moment, the branches of those trees glowed faintly, sending a pulse of power out that reached them on the ship. The Fairy Tail girls smiled at the warmth they felt from it. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah," she responded with a wider smile. She knew the young slayer was worried about the warning the Rukh gave them before leaving. It would be a lie to say she wasn't concerned about it. But they would cross that road when it came.

"The others are relying on us, supporting us from home." The drakaina's grip tightened just slightly as she looked down at the younger bluenette. She smiled. "Let's make them proud."

"Yeah!" Wendy smiled up at her and hugged the water dragon tighter. When she pulled away, a curious excitement sparkled in her eyes. They were going to a new country and it was her first time leaving Fiore for anything. Sure, she'd heard stories from some of the older mages about their escapades outside of Fiore, but this was new for everybody. They didn't know what to expect. "What do you think Sindria will be like?"

Nerida glanced back out at the sea, her smile softening a bit at her friend's excitement, glad she'd cheered up. As she let her mind wander to answer Wendy's question, she briefly wondered the same thing, hoping the king was as kind as their queen. "Hm. That's a good question. From what we know so far, it's a diverse and prosperous country like Fiore."

"Do you think the people there are nice?"

The drakaina hummed in thought. "Maybe. With how diverse it is, I wouldn't be surprised. I think it'll be a lively kingdom."

"Hey," came a shout from the deck. Then a bell started ringing and the two turned to find the source. It was a plain elder man with graying brown hair and kind coal eyes. The ship's first mate waved from his position. "It's time for lunch!"

Nerida smiled and turned a challenging gaze to the younger dragon. "Race you to the deck?"

Wendy smiled and crouched down. "One."

"Two." The older bluenette mirrored her friend.

They glanced at each other one last time before shouting, "Three!"

~oOo~

Evening sunlight shone through the grand castle walls as reds and violets began to paint the sky. A tall stack of signed paperwork lay almost daunting on the side of a desk. The man in the chair sighed as he placed his quill into the inkwell in the corner of his workspace and leaned back in his chair. Golden eyes fell closed as he let his eyes rest a minute.

Soon, he'd be hosting diplomats from that strange country Fiore. To think an entire country appeared overnight was mind-blowing. He would've completely denounced it if not for the strange crest in the top right corner of the letter. The quality of the paper was also different than what he was used to. If he were to believe Queen Fiore, her country would be in dire need of allies in this strange new world.

Maybe he could take advantage of this. They needed help but they also had many strange and amazing inventions - or so her Highness Fiore had mentioned. He felt like they would be in for quite a surprise when those diplomats arrived.

"Sin." His eyes snapped open to reveal his tired advisor Ja'far. He smirked only for the younger man to huff and recollect himself from dealing with the ever bickering generals. "It seems our new friends across the sea are a country of magicians and magic-based machines."

The violet-haired king leaned forward onto his desk. "Yes, that's what Queen Fiore said in her letter."

Ja'far sighed and moved to stand closer to his friend's desk. "I'm curious to see what kind of magic they use. If we are to believe everything in her letter, they may use magic differently than what we're used to."

"I'm curious too." He allowed a mischievous smirk to appear on his lips. New people meant new opportunities. Who's to say Fiore won't become the next country to join the Seven Seas Alliance. "We might be able to use their new presence here to a greater advantage than we think."

The white-haired man looked down at his long-time friend and restrained a sigh. Things had been a little too quiet as of late and the steadily growing Kou Empire on the Eastern Continent made him nervous. They were growing in power every passing week and it was alarming how accurately they were doing it. But, depending on how powerful the magicians were, they could have another Magnoshtadt on their hands. They didn't know anything about the country's culture and that could be a terrible blind spot to have. They would cross that road when it came.

"Do you think we'll gain a powerful ally if we accept them into the Seven Seas Alliance?"

"We might." Golden eyes glanced up to meet steel green. "We'll have to wait until the diplomats get here before we can do anything."

"Right." He reached into his sleeve to glance at the notepad he usually carried around the palace. The Fioran group left their country's ports a week ago. Based on the time of year, "They should be here in the next few days."

Sinbad closed his eyes and nodded. So, they were close. He was interested to see what kind of people they'd get to meet. "I'm glad we don't have to wait much longer."

~oOo~

Nerida sighed nostalgically, staring out at the sea with longing. The whispering promise of protection and power was something she hadn't realized she missed. Though it'd only been a small lake behind their old guildhall, it had the same voice she could her now - just a bit quieter. To think something so trivial could make her so nostalgic for the old days. But she wouldn't change their paths for the world. It'd made Fairy Tail mages - and mages from several other guilds - the great people they were today.

Amethyst eyes flicked up to the crimson horizon line, watching the sun set on the last Monday of their trip. There wasn't a trace of the country they'd left behind. Soon, they would dock on the shores of Sindria and be escorted to the capital for a meeting with their king. It was almost strange to think their lives had turned upside down again so soon.

"Nerida-san?" The drakaina glanced back over a caramel shoulder to the celestial mage. "Are you alright?"

She smiled and turned back to the sea with a wistful look. "Yeah, I'm fine, Yukino. Just thinking about how much changed in the last several months."

"It's definitely crazy." Charle settled on the deck next to her, Wendy not far behind the exceed.

"Crazy is just a regular day at Fairy Tail," chuckled a smooth male voice behind them. The brown-haired archive mage stopped behind them, arms crossed as the girls chuckled in agreement. "From what we've gathered so far, this world's magic is a bit different than we originally thought."

The water mage frowned up at him in question. "How do you mean?"

"Well, the Rukh are usually channeled through weapons and jewelry called Metal Vessels," he said leaning on a support beam. "Sindria's king and founder, Sinbad, is known worldwide for possessing seven - a feat that only he has accomplished so far. He's even attributed with being the first to unite so many isolated sovereign countries as allies. Heliohapt and Artemyra being only two of them."

"So the three of them are allies?" Yukino smiled at their knowledgeable teammate. "That'll come in handy if we get approval by all three. Then other nations will have no choice but to recognize us."

"But it may also cause problems." The two mages glanced at their drakaina friend curiously. Apprehensive worry was gnawing at her. "Depending on how we measure up to these Metal Vessels you mentioned, Hibiki, Fiore may be the most powerful country yet. If the Vessel users have that much power in only a handful of people, imagine what will happen when other nations discover we have guilds of hundreds of people with that kind of magic.

Nerida sighed and stood up, stretching a bit as Rufus finally emerged from his room. He smirked and tipped his hat at her and settled next to Hibiki. The memory mage had become a great sparring partner during their trip.

The drakaina smiled as he picked up where she left off. "Even if only a few wizards are S-Class in each guild, there are several guilds of wizards in Fiore. If my guess about the power dynamic is right, Fiore may be attracting more trouble this way. On the other hand, we may be hilariously outclassed - though I highly doubt that.

"He's right," the Exceed sighed and fixed her tie - a nervous habit she'd developed in the last few years. The unease in her heart was matched by everyone else on the deck. They had no idea what they were walking into. That wasn't all either. "And we still don't know what Ugo-san meant when he said a dangerous force from our world escaped here."

Everyone fell silent at that. They'd felt a shift in the air a couple days after they left. Unease haunted them for several days; the idea of leaving Fiore behind to deal with what caused it making them anxious to turn around. Although, there were plenty of other powerful mages staying behind in their place. After what Fairy Tail suffered from the Tenroujima incident, none of their guilds would be left unprotected. It was times like these they were grateful for the new council's quick thinking.

Besides, they didn't know much about the world around them, the very essence of magic in the air very different than even Edolas. By reaching out for alliances, they were taking a step to learn their surroundings, to become better acquainted with their neighbors.

Nerida only hoped they would have enough time to establish an alliance and get what they needed. There was no telling what the future held. But one thing was certain...

"Whatever it is, we'll overcome it; just like Alvarez." Yukino smiled at her teammates. "No matter who or what's out there, we'll be ready for it."

They all smiled back at her, their faith in one another growing. Everyone present was a capable mage in their own right. Fiore had faced war and come out on top. This was just another challenge for them to conquer.

And they would come out on top.


	4. An Alliance is Forged

"This place is gorgeous!" The golden-haired celestial mage was immediately taken with Artemyra. The two swordswomen smiled at Lucy's reaction.

Rose giggled and slipped a hand around her friend's shoulders. "I totally agree!"

Homes were expertly carved into the canyon rock with large tunnel openings between them. Some wires crossed from wall to wall in a simple network of tightrope bridges. Wind was perpetually cycling through the canyon, playing with their hair and clothes. The people around them were kind, greeting them with welcoming smiles. One thing they noticed was that the only people they saw were women; all of them having different shades of blond hair and red eyes. It was a strange phenomenon they'd never seen before.

Suddenly, the current picked up. A loud bird call echoed through the rock that made the girls cover their ears. Soon, a white bird came flying through one of the tunnels, landing before them with great flaps. It was easily the size of the Great Sakura tree that stands tall in Magnolia Central Park.

"Hello down there," Came a shout from the bird. A young woman with blonde hair and bright ruby eyes leaned over to look from her seat on the bird's saddle. She quickly dismounted and slid down the bird's tail. Her shining smile grew at the sight of their party. "You must be the diplomats from Fiore. Come, Her Majesty is waiting in the throne room!"

The girls were glad they'd thought to dress in their uniforms that morning. The navy and white trench coats were held together by wide leather belts. On the left breast of each coat lay the Fiore's symbol; a four-pointed flower with two leaves on each side of the stem and two curling lines on either side of the flower. Underneath the coat was a dress shirt of their choice and black leggings. Navy gloves matched their calf-high boots to complete the look. It kept them warm in the constant breeze as they followed the young warrioress to the palace.

"You have a beautiful country," Minerva complimented.

The girl giggled. "Thank you! We all work hard to keep it that way."

They spoke amiably until they reached the intimidating structure of the palace; they noticed it was at the highest point in the country facing toward the capital city and beyond. Several gleaming white pillars supported the main entrance, a wide, red bird painted on the front of the roof. It opened up into a two-story hall with small divisions branching toward them. Four guard towers complimented the structure, surrounding the much larger central area; each part was topped with a pale red dome made of brick.

The awed mages smiled and glanced between themselves. This country was full of rich culture and their palace was certainly one of the center points of it. Hopefully, the queen would be just as kind as her citizens were.

"Hello," their guide greeted one of the armored women standing guard. Her golden spear and helmet were shining brightly under the sunlight. "These young women are the diplomats from Fiore."

The guard smiled politely and nodded. "I'll take them in then," she announced with a turn. Her partner pushed open the door to let them inside. The mages thanked their guide and followed the guard inside. Their footsteps echoed through the hall as they became aware of the soldier's strong aura; she wielded powerful magic. Erza's and Kagura's eyes narrowed in suspicion, both slowly reaching for their sheathed swords. Rose moved to stand a bit close to Lucy who placed a hand onto her whip. Minerva stood a bit straighter, allowing her hands to drop to her sides so they'd be free for whatever was about to come.

The guard laughed at them as they came to a stop in the throne room. She slowly ascended the few steps to the empty gilded chair and sat down, smirking at their battle-ready stances. It was then that they realized the guard was actually the queen they'd come to see. Casually leaning on one hand, she remarked, "It seems you knew who I was before I revealed myself. No one has ever done that before."

"That's quite the test, Your Majesty." Kagura was still a bit frazzled by the queen's sudden announcement.

"Yes, I use it to feel out anyone who visits." Her smirk softened into a gentle smile. "It hasn't steered me wrong so far."

"Well," Lucy cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Your Majesty, we've come here from Fiore in hopes that you'd answer our queen's request for an alliance. While we've been working hard to readjust to this new world, Fiore is still unfamiliar with its new neighbors. We would be extremely grateful if Artemyra would lend us a helping hand.

The queen regarded them silently for a while. She took in their stances with a trained eye; they were relaxed, each carrying themselves with the confidence one could only get through battle. The women before her were warriors as well as diplomats and that immediately garnered her respect for them and their queen.

She nodded and smiled at them. "I see no reason to turn you away. However, I would suggest you wait until Sindria accepts Queen Fiore's proposal."

The redhead frowned. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, before I explain that," a nostalgic glint entered her eye, "let me tell you the story of how I met Sinbad the Adventurer."

~oOo~

When they finally arrived at Sindria's western port on Thursday morning, everyone's mood improved. The prospect of exploring a new country after being cooped up on a ship for a straight month was something none of the mages were used to. More than once, they'd almost lost the ship to spar sessions taken a little too seriously.

That was quickly fixed when the crew almost drowned a fifth time.

Nerida sighed as she closed her suitcase and zipped it. Glancing around the room, she caught her reflection in the mirror. The spell keeping her human appearance was still working so she played with her hair and tamed it into a bun. Her caramel skin was covered by a black crop top, dusty pink jacket and black capris. The lavender of her guild mark sat proudly on the skin of her collar bone. Nodding to herself in approval, Nerida grabbed her suitcase and made her way to where the others were waiting.

Yukino smiled when she noticed the water mage. "Hey, Nerida-san. Glad to be on solid ground?"

"Well," she smirked at the celestial mage, "ships don't bother me. Only trains and carriages."

Laxus grumbled under his breath making the bluenette chuckle. If it weren't for the lacrima Anna made specifically for the dragonslayers, she was sure he would've been worse off. She gently pushed his shoulder and he rolled his eyes at her. A small spark got her forehead and the drakaina pouted. He smirked at her and she laughed. It felt good to see her brother smile so easily again.

"Are you the diplomatic party from Fiore?"

The mages turned to see a young white-haired man with calm dark steel eyes. A gilded band with a small ruby held the green headpiece on his head, the fabric falling over his shoulders and down his back. A cream white kimono-like top was parted to reveal a white dress shirt, its wide green bands patterned with black, interconnected diamond shapes. It was all held together with a black obi. His arms were crossed just slightly, keeping them hidden under his long, flowing sleeves.

It was clear to them that he had some kind of training from how quietly he'd approached them. None were truly alarmed though; they could sense his aura of magic. Both parties regarded each other silently for a moment before Yukino stepped forward with a polite smile.

"Yes. My name is Yukino and these are my friends Nerida," she nodded with a smile. "Wendy," the little bluenette gave an excited wave. "Rufus," the memory mage tipped his hat with a small smile. "Hibiki," the archive mage gave a slight bow. "And Laxus." He merely nodded his head, face stoic as ever. "We were sent by Queen Fiore to represent our country. We look forward to exploring this country and hope His Highness will accept her proposal."

The man smiled and finally introduced himself. "I am one of Sindria's Eight Generals and advisor to King Sinbad;" he gave them a slight bow that most of them returned, "my name is Jafar."

He gestured to the main road behind him. There, a cloth-covered wagon mounted with two horses was waiting. There were smaller cushions on the inside - likely for them to sit on - evenly spaced with plenty of room for their luggage to sit in the back.

"If you follow me, this carriage will take us to where you'll be staying." He turned toward the wagon, not bothering to look behind him. The mages looked at one another before they followed after him. As they loaded their things into the carriage, Jafar informed them, "His Highness is currently finishing a meeting and will join us later for lunch."

The mages decided to get themselves acquainted with the people and gather some information on how the world works. It would also be a good opportunity to get clothes that matched their environment a little better. Once rooms were decided, the group split off to roam the city.

It was a beautiful town paved by dirt roads. The shops varied from large establishments to small family-owned places. There was definitely competition among the shop-owners, but it was amiable; small nudges and teasing smiles were exchanged all around. Children laughed as they ran around people in the street. No one really complained about them even if they stepped on a toe or two.

From the fisherman to the vendors, everyone was either smiling or working diligently. There was a warmth in the air that reminded the mages of their guilds' hometowns. Everyone bustling around and working hard but still… happy. It was a bit startling to see outside of their own country, but not unwelcome.

Whoever this Sinbad was, he took great care of his nation and its people.

~oOo~

Nerida hummed as she stretched her arms above her head. The day was already feeling long and it wasn't over yet. At least they had time to change into their formal attire before meeting the king. Sighing, the drakaina zipped up her coat and pulled on her gloves. A quick glance in the mirror and she was off to join Yukino and Hibiki.

The group finally opened their envelopes and discovered only the three of them needed to go see the king. Thankfully, they were quite knowledgeable about diplomacy and how to conduct themselves. Yukino and Nerida were also powerful powerful enough to handle whatever may happen.

"Ready to go?" She smiled at the general and nodded. "The others aren't coming?"

"No." The water mage shook her head. "Wendy is still a bit young and the others simply aren't comfortable with things like this."

Jafar nodded and led them to the main road. As they got closer to the palace, the girls gasped in surprise. The road turned into a sand yellow brick path with two flights of stairs farther in the distance. Long patches of grass followed the path on the sides, narrower walkways lining the outer edges of them. Where Mercurius stood tall, the Sindrian Palace was wide, two long wings extending out from the center of the building. Green brick domes roofed the three visible floors with match guard towers on either side of the cylindrical center. There were multiple additions on the left side extending into what they could see of the horizon line.

It was absolutely gorgeous.

Hibiki cleared his throat and the others turned to him. "You mentioned before you were one of eight generals. What are the others like?"

"That," Jafar smiled knowingly, "you'll have to see for yourself."

~oOo~

As the small group finally arrived in the dining hall, they were greeted with an interesting sight. Seven very different people were sitting at the long table with only a few chairs empty.

Going from left to right, the first person one of the largest men she'd ever met. Standing at over two hundred centimeters tall, the man had pale skin marred by various scars. Long, sky blue hair was done up in a ponytail that draped over his shoulder. With kind, shining white gold eyes and an arrogant smirk, it was obvious the man was a great warrior confident in his skills.

Beside him, a red-haired man built much like Laxus regarded them silently. Guarded, pale pink eyes fell over each of them before his lips quirked into a slight smile. He came across as a gentle giant, but the power in his aura could definitely be intimidating.

The young girl next to him was practically bouncing in her chair, startling fuschia eyes sparkling with excitement. Her blonde hair was cropped short with the exception of the braid hanging from the right side of her head. The red feather in her hair seemed to match the red headband on her forehead.

She reached for the young man next to her, who blushed adorably at the small touch. His flaming orange was straighter than Erza's, sharp bangs hanging over his left eye. Bue, platinum armor glinted softly in the sunlight, bringing attention to his choice of attire.

Beside him, on the other side of the empty chair, a woman about their age with periwinkle eyes smiled at them. Her hair was a few shades darker than Nerida's and two, golden horn earpieces protruded from her hair. She also wore a large witch hat. The man beside her was constantly whispering something under his breath, to her obvious annoyance.

The white-haired man had dark tan skin and steel green eyes. A golden chain starting from his ear looped around his neck a few times before trailing down the middle of his torso. He was proudly smirking at the woman's reaction to whatever he'd said.

What really surprised the mages, was the large drake finally joining them. A long, crimson cape draped over his shoulders in stark contrast to his chartreuse scales. They were lined around and down his head, coming up and out in long 'ears,' a single ruby earring dangling from his left ear. He gave them what they assumed was a polite smile.

The mages blinked owlishly, turned to each other, then smiled knowingly. The Eight Generals were certainly one of a kind, but nothing that truly surprised them.

"Everyone, these are the diplomats from Fiore."

There were various greetings as the trio settled in three of the open seats. Yukina and the others smiled, introducing themselves to the other generals. King Sinbad joined them shortly after that.

His long violet hair was tied back in a low ponytail. The decorative headpiece set above his forehead appeared like a fan with the two ends extending farther; blue and lime green were offset by the oval-cut ruby inlaid at its center. Around his neck were several necklaces of gold and silver, one falling down to his torso it was so long. The cuffs on his wrists didn't match but their extravagance was undoubted; the left one was gold and the right one was silver. Two rings adorned his right hand, one extending over his knuckle. A single belt of rope kept the sheathed sword at his wait from falling.

Almost immediately, the trio of mages took in his distinct aura. It was certainly powerful; the sheer strength of it rivaled that of the eighth ranked wizard saint. From the cluster of Rukh hovering around his jewelry, they could tell he had several Metal Vessels. But there was something else…

"Welcome to Sindria," he smiled charmingly. His golden eyes seemed to capture the drakaina's gaze and it took everything in her not to blush at the playful light she saw in them. Oh, this man was dangerous.

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Your Highness. It's a beautiful country."

"Yes, your people are amazingly content," Yukino complimented. She beamed at him and Hibiki nodded his agreement.

From there, they were served lunch. It was an amiable affair, the trio describing lacrima and the like to the best of their ability. This in turn moved the conversation into trade, which led to an explanation of the Seven Seas Alliance. The Fiore diplomats were a bit surprised to hear that so many countries agreed to it. When it finally came time to address the issue at hand, the Fiore diplomats spoke to each other briefly in their native language.

"Should we include the tidbit about the shift in our geography," Nerida inquired.

Hibiki thought for a moment before shaking his head. They didn't need Sindria thinking their new ally was too weak to recover from war. The mirror image effect could be something to mention, though. "Not all of it, at least."

"Right." They looked to the celestial mage. "I think we should make it seem like coming here was the cause instead of the Alvarez War."

"Alright."

Caramel fingers laced together as Nerida took a calming breath and looked directly into the king's eyes. Now that her initial fluster had passed, she could sense that something about him felt...intimidating. No, not intimidating exactly, but… off. It was almost like there was a strange darkness in his aura. One that wasn't all-consuming, but it was present nonetheless. The bluenette decided to make a note of it and put it in her report later.

"As I'm sure you read in our queen's letters, Fiore was abruptly pulled from our homeworld and into this one. From what we've gathered so far, it was the result of various ancient and vast magics clashing in mixing with the atmosphere over the last decade."

Her gaze shifted to Yukino and the Celestial Mage nodded. "For reasons we're still trying to determine, our country's geography was altered upon arriving here. We've been slowly remapping and getting accustomed to this world in the last several months. Queen Fiore reaching out to other nations for help is a large part of this."

"This world works a little different than we're used to," Hibiki continued. He reached for a journal he'd been writing since their journey started and opened to the page he was looking for. "Metal Vessels, for example, are a foreign concept. It is our hope that by sharing some of our resources and devices, perhaps we could make this into a mutually beneficial relationship between our countries."

Everything was silent for a moment as the purple-haired king and his advisor spoke in hushed tones. The drakaina caught a few words and resisted a grateful smile. They were speaking in favor of the proposed alliance. Though, she had her doubts. Sindria seemed a little too perfect for her liking. And while Nerida knew they could trust him, she couldn't stop her unease from growing.

"Very well. I, King Sinbad of the Kingdom of Sindria, recognize Fiore as a country and offer up an alliance under a few conditions."

The three negotiators glanced at each other and smiled in relief. None noticed the triumphant smirk of the king across from them when they silently agreed to hear him out. They were sure Queen Hisui would be fine with whatever they settled with. With that in mind, the three mages turned back to Sinbad and Yukino voiced their question.

"What are the conditions?"

Jafar leaned forward to answer. "The alliance will create a trade agreement between our five countries and Fiore. Also, should something happen, and you need aid, those of the Seven Seas Alliance will help. Fiore would be expected to return the favor." Then he motioned to the Eight Generals behind them. "Like each of them, one of you will stay behind as a representative of your home country. We will need your advice and direction in maintaining good relations with your country."

Hibiki nodded in acceptance and glanced at the two ladies beside him. Yukino and Nerida smiled at each other before nodding at the archive mage. Considering how this could've turned out, Fiore was getting an excellent opportunity for allies. There was no way they could reject this proposal.

"Then it seems we will be joining you," the drakaina finally responded.

Sinbad smiled cordially at them. "Excellent. This will be put in writing shortly to send back with you. Now," he stood from his chair with an eager smile, "I'd like to see some of those devices you mentioned."


End file.
